Since its inception in 2000, XXIO has been focused on the golfer with moderate swing speeds. With equipment marketing so focused on all things Tour related, XXIO has had this niche almost to itself in the two intervening decades.
The XXIO X targets the better player that might have lost a bit of speed but is still competitive and looking for a lighter solution. This golfer might not be the best fit for XXIO's prestige products as they would quite different from the products that he's used to playing. In this aspect, the X is a gateway product that introduces the more skilled golfer to XXIO's signature technologies.
The X driver also possesses XXIO's Weight Plus counterbalancing technology. XXIO engineers place a small brass weight in the butt of the grip in each club in their line. XXIO claims that Weight Plus promotes consistency in the golfer's swing. What it does do for sure is make the club feel lighter than it otherwise might.
The clubhead is laden with proven high performance technologies. It's a composite design, with judicious applications of carbon fiber allow for precise positioning of weight where it benefits the golfer. The titanium cup face is made of Super TIX titanium. A rare, strong and extremely flexible titanium alloy, Super TIX and the proprietary face design work to enlarge the sweet spot for less distance loss on off-center hits.
The clubhead is a very appealing shape; it's perfectly proportioned and has the visuals demanded by better golfers. It's a generous size but it is definitely shaped with the better golfer's aesthetic preferences in mind.
The shaft is a 48-gram Miyazaki with 4.9 degrees of torque in the stiff flex tester that XXIO's distributor J-Ten Sports lent us. It's significantly lighter than the shaft in most of our drivers but proved to be surprisingly stout in spite of its feathery light weight.
It proved accessible to the higher handicap golfer also. During a round at the newly renovated Puerto Azul Zamora Championship Course, Play it Right director of marketing Lloyd Tronco, admittedly a high handicapper, became instantly infatuated with the XXIO X driver after getting over the fact that the shaft wasn't a perfect fit for him.
Our time with the XXIO X driver shows that although it was intended for the better golfer, the ultra-light shaft and high performance clubhead makes this driver very accessible for golfers of a wide range of abilities. Highly skilled players will revel in the additional speed that the ultra-light platform will provide for them. Higher handicappers that prefer the look of the X driver will benefit from the ease of use that XXIO builds into all their clubs, including the X driver.
If you fit the demographic and are in the market for a new driver, the XXIO X is definitely worth your consideration.
